Mounting of side cars of motor cycles



F. R. LEAKE HOUNTING OF SIDE CARS 0F MOTOR CYCLES Sept. 29, 1925.

Filed Juno 4, 1925 lfigf I Z77/ /7f0/" Ffilfik by @1 Av /4 27349? Patented Sept. 29, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MOUNTING OF SIDE CARS F MOTORCYCLES.

Application filed June 4, 1925. Serial No. 34,947.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK REGINALD LEAKE, of North Hobart, in the State of Tasmania, Commonwealth of Australia, a

subject of the King of Great Britain, have invented certain new and useful Improvements Relating to the Mounting of Side Cars of Motor Cycles, of which the following is a specification.

This invention refers to the mounting of side cars of motor cycles and provides means that make for safety in case of vital parts breaking and for thecomfort of the passenger occupying the car.

At the present time side cars rest upon springs that are secured to the axle bar that is attached to the frame of a motor cycle and at the outer part carries the road wheel. The chassis or frame of the side car consists of a bar attached to the forward part of the cycle and connected rearwardly to the axle bar through the outer spring. This draft bar is more or less diagonally placed and another bar is connected to the cycle frame near the saddle and at its outer end to the draft bar. It has further been suggested that the outer spring supporting the car body be superposed upon a third spring so as to roll thereon as the body rocks lon gitudinally.

In the present invention, the car body is held on springs secured to the axle bar with a main draft bar attached to the forward part of the cycle and taken rearwardly in a line parallel to the body springs through a safety block on the axle bar. Below the safety block and secured thereto is a semielliptic spring secured at its waist to the block and at its tips to the draft bar. The Dosition of the block and the extra spring is at the outer extremity of the axle bar beyond the outer body spring and the block carries at its upper end the stub axle of the road wheel. The second draft bar is secured to the cycle frame at or near to the saddle and is taken under the main axle bar to a point on the parallel part of the main draft bar between the safety block and the rearward spring connection with the bar where it is secured.

But in order to fully understand the nature of the invention reference is made to the accompanying drawings, in which- Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the chassis frame,

Fig. 2 a plan of the same, and

Fig. 3 a front sectional elevation on the line AB of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged view in front elevation of the safety block, and

Figj5 aside elevation of the same.

The axle bar 6 carries the car body springs 7 and is connected into the motor cycle frame in any convenient way. The draft bar 8 is attached to the forward end of the cycle frame and supports on the usual cushion springs 9 the forward end of the car body. It is then taken rearwards and bent parallel to the springs 7 beforebeing passed through the safety block 10 that is hollow or slotted and mounted on the outer end of the axle bar 6. The block 10 is deep enough to extend well belo-wthe springs 7 and atits upper end'is fitted with a stub axle 11 on which the road wheel'is held. Its lower part is channelled to-receive the waist of a spring 12 that is bolted thereto and connected at its tips to the draft bar 8. This spring 12, which may be called the wheel spring, receives the road shocks as it is quite separate and apart from the springs 7 and it tends to relieve the latter by absorbing shocks before the axle bar can be sufiiciently affected thereby to convey its movements to the body springs.

The other draft bar 13 is connected into the cycle frame near to the saddle and is taken below the axle bar 6 to its attachment with the main draft bar 8.

The bar 8 may be housed in the safety member 10 with a sliding block that nicely fits in the slot or opening in the member 10.

This mode of housing the draft bar is desirable as any tendency to warping of the wheel spring 12 is thus minimized if not avoided. I also recommend that the sliding block be fixed on the bar 8 and that it be fitted with a flange or lug that is adapted to slide on the exterior face of the safety member to prevent any movement of the bar 8 and sliding block in said safety member except in a vertical plane.

It will thus be seen that the draft from the motor cycle is conveyed to the side car axle through the several parts and connec&

tions while the main bar 8 passes through the safety block 1 on which the road wheel is free to revolve. This arrangement is advantageous and is a factor of safety in case of breakage of essential parts. Should, for instance, the wheel spring break, the fall of the draft bar 8 would be limited by the depth oftl ie slot in'tlie, block lOl eas'the shortened by the bar 13' cementing \iiitli'thi" axle bar and by the movement of the bar 8 upwards being limited the slot aforesaid:

Thus, he; bl eki 1 W e fam ,us iq-l' n rendering the side car comfortabletofride' in andsa tr h ni vp t thel s u.

Having now described my nvent on; What I clann as new and desire to secure by Letters Batent is 1 In a side can of the. indicated; a

sidelcar chassis si de car body springs, a side cardaxle -a slotted block on the srdecar: axle,

aehassisinain draft bar connect-edto theforward of the motorcycle and; passing thifongh the; slotin theblock in a linei'pan' allel with the body springs, a second draft mi d aft ba it Pin a d y i the slotted block a road; wheel, a; stub azgle on the block, and a road Wheel on thest ib axle.

In a s d ar; i; t k d indic d? block: on the outer end of the side: earaxle,

I I v name to this specification. eside car chassis, a SldficagflaX18, a lS10ttd a chassis main draft bar. passing through the slot in the block, means for staying the chassis frame, a stub axle on the block, a road Wheel on the stub axle, a ell ztiiriel in the under face sideof the block, and a Wheel a an w. w .L r 2 lira, spring housed in the channel and havlng its ends connected tothe main draft bar.

3.1K side car of the kind indicated, comprising, a side car chassis, body springs, an axle a slotted block on the axle mounted at a point outside of and: beyond. the body spring s' anda main draft barfor the chassis frame housed in the'bloek.

4. is an side ear- Or; the kind emai ed; a"

chassisframe, agile, a main draft; bar, a slotted bloc k onthev orrter end of theazgle; a chassis main draft bar passing through the slot in the slotted block; a' blockmounted on tlie draf-t and positioiied in the slottedblock to slide ert'ieally therein, means I N v for stayingthe chassis frame, and 21' Wheel" v bar fro'rnfthe cycle frame connected to the'.

spring housed in the lowr vpa'it of the slotted block and secured at its ends to the main draft bar.

n testimony wear-sari have signed my;

FRANK memes: mm; 

